Refrigeration



A. SCHULTZE REFRIGERATION Filed Nov. 7, 1947 May 3, 1949,

IN VEN TOR.

Patented May 3, 1949 REFRIGERATION Albert Schultze, Evansville, Ind., assigner to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 7, 1947, Serial No. 784,597

(Cl. .G2-2119.5)

Claims. 1

This invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly to means for insulating and sealing the insulation box of the gas heat exchanger in an absorption refrigerating system of the threeuid or uniform pressure type.

In domestic-refrigerators cooled by absorption refrigerating` systems of three-fluid. type it is common practice to provide a machinery compartment or flue at the rear of the refrigerator cabinet. In this ilue may be located the heat dissipating parts of the system, such as, the absorber and condenser. Also, it is more or less common practice to place the gas heat exchanger of this type of system in the flue. However, when the gas heat exchanger is placed in the iiue it is necessary that it be insulated against the relatively warm air that passes up the flue. Furthermore, the insulation box or casing which contains the insulation for the gas heat exchanger should be sealed against the entrance of vair into the casing, otherwise the relatively warm moist air passing up the iiue is apt to enter the insulation casing causing damage to the insulation and corrosion of the interior of the casing and of the exterior of the gas heat exchanger.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved method of and means for insulating a gas heat exchanger of a refrigerating system.

It is a further and equally important object of my invention to providean improved method of and means for sealing an insulation casing around a gas heat exchanger.

The above and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying` drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section of a refrigerator incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on line II--l of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of top and bottom closure members, respectively.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have for purposes of illustration shown my invention incorporating a domestic refrigerator indicated generally by reference character I0. This refrigerator includes a low-temperature compartment I I and a hightemperature or food storage compartment i2, which compartments are cooled by a low-temperature evaporator I2 and a hightemperature evaporator I4, respectively. An insulated partition, not shown, may be located in the upper portion of the cabinet between the low and high temperature evaporators. The cabinet is provided with an outer door I5 for gaining access to the interior thereof. A machinery compartment I6 is located beneath the food storage compartment I2 and a vertical flue I1 extends upwardly from the machinery compartment at the rear of the cabinet. The rear wall of the cabinet is provided with an opening or window surrounded by a frame member I8, which opening is closed by a closure member I9. Closure member I9 includes an ,inner panel 20 and an outer panel or mounting plate 2|, the space between these two panels being illled with a suitable heat insulating material, not shown. `A gas heat exchanger 22 is located in the vertical ue I1 and is connected at its upper end by suit able conduits, not shown, to the low and high temperature sections of the evaporator. At its lower end the heat exchanger is connected to the inlet and outlet ends of an absorber, not shown. Only so much of the refrigerating system as is necessary for a complete understanding of my invention has been illustrated in the drawings.

In accordance with my invention, the mounting plate 2| is provided with a rectangular opening 23, which opening is surrounded by an inwardly projecting ange 24. My improved insulation box includes an elongate' channel member 25 provided with a rectangular opening in the upper portion thereof, which opening registers with the opening 23 in the mounting plate 2I. An elongate cover member 26 provided with outwardly projecting flanges 21 along each longitudinal edge thereof is attached to the channel member as by screws 28. As shown in Fig. 3, cover member 26 is substantially U-shaped in horizontal section. A flanged cap member 29 is provided at the upper portion of the insulation box and a lower flanged cap member 30 surrounds the lower portion of the gas heat exchanger and closes the lower portion of the insulation box. As shown in Fig. 4 anges 21 of the cover member 26 are formed with a raised portion 3| between each of the screws 28. The raised portions of the flanges allow vthe escape of air from the interior of the insulation box sulating material.

1n assembling my improved insulation box around the gas heat exchanger 22, the elongate the mounting plate.

channel member 25 is attached, as by welding or the like, to the mounting plate 2l, the rectangular opening in the channel member being in alignment with the rectangular opening in Then the gas heat exchanger 22 is located in alignment with the elongate channel member, the upper portion of the heat exchanger is connected to the low and high temperature evaporators and the lower portion of the heat exchanger is connected to the inlet and outlet of the absorber, as stated above. The lower cap member 30 having pre viously been secured to the lower portion of the gas heat exchanger,y the cover member 26 is mounted-upon and attached 'to the channel member 25 by the screws 26. The points of contact between the lower cap member 3D, the gas.

. heat exchanger, the channel member 25and `the member 30. Then the upper cap memberv 29. is

applied to the upper portion of the insulationj` box and amolte'n fast-setting sealing compound is poured over the top of' this cap member" thereby sealing the points of contact --between `food storage compartment at the rear thereof and a closure member between said food storage compartment and said nue, said closure member including a mounting plate provided with an opening therein, a refrigerating system for cooling said food storage compartment, said refrigerating system including an evaporator in s'aid food storage compartment, a gas heat exchanger in said ilue, and means for insulating said gas lheat exchanger, said insulating means including the cap member, the upper portion of the chan# nel member and the upper portion of cover:

through the raised portions 3| lof the iiange members 21 assuring a dense packing of insulation in the insulation box and in the closure member I9. After the insulation box has been blown with the insulating material, a molten fast-setting sealing compound is poured into the joints lbetween the flanges 21 of the cover memberA 26 and the flange of. channel member 25, From the above it is Iseen that the openings provided by the raised portions 3i as well as all joints between the respective parts of the insulation` box, nd between the gas heat exchanger and the lower portion of the insulation box, are sealed against the entrance of air.

As an alternative, instead of blowing insulating material into the linsulation box, a pad of insulating material such as mineral wool, fiberglass or the like may be wrapped around the gas heatexchanger before the cover member 26 is applied to the channel member 25, in which case the raised portions 3l may -be omitted from the flanges 21 of the cover member 26, and. in which" case a ribbon of suitable sealing material may g be `applied between the inner surface of the ilanges 21 and the outer surface-of the channel member 25. In any event all points of contact of the diierent elements which make up the insulation box are hermetically sealed byA a suitable sealing material so that in the nished product air can not enter the insulation box.

.to encompass said heat exchanger in spac a channel member attached to said mounting plate and provided with an4 opening therein,' which opening is aligned with fthe jopeningfinm the mounting plate, said channelfmemberbelng provided with a contiguous ilange'alng', riphery thereof, a' casing'munted onfsaidl nel member and adapted tocooperatev t lation therewith, means for attaching saijdcas ing to said channel member, closure membersjl for closing each end of said casing, and insulatfing material within said casing. I 2.-A refrigerating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the casing `comprises anelon'-` gate member U-shaped in transversey section A. provided with outwardly projecting ilanges along the two longitudinal redges thereof, which outwardly projecting anges t withinl the contiguous ange of the channel member.

3. A refrigerating apparatus asfset forth in claim 1 wherein the means for' attaching the casing to the channel member includes a pair of flanges, which anges are provided withf raised portions to provide vent openings between the channel member and the casing.

4. A refrigerating apparatus as set forthin claim 1 wherein the casing closure members `are in the form of flanged caps that t within each end of the casing.

5. A refrigerating apparatus as set forth in.,A claim 1 wherein sealing material is provided be`v tween the channel member and the casing, between the casing and the closure members and` between the gas heat exchanger and at leasty oneof the closure members.

ALBER,TSCHULTZE.

REFERENCES CITED' The following references are of `recordain the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Lenning Dee. 27, 193s 

